Linh Nguyen, UI/UX Designer

Mobile Application

Design Process

The overall design of Parker focused heavily on ease of use, and that users would intuitively be able to use the application by applying their prior knowledge of navigating iOs/Android interfaces. Blue was determined as the only primary color of the application due to its ability to elicit feelings of trust. All other colors on Parker were on the greyscale to stay true to its simple design.

Since ease of use was often mentioned during initial interviews, initial sketches relied heavily on transferring much of the UI language depicted across iOs and Android interfaces to Parker. This included a simple font and straightforward language. The purpose of the aforementioned design decisions were to keep the mental load at a minimum so users were able to easily navigate through the application without feeling like they needed to learn a brand new UI language.

Affinity Mapping

The user typically parks in the same spot at work and the mall, making it easy for them to find their car due to memorization. They have a methodical driving routine and prefer familiar locations, often relying on retracing steps and recognizable signs. However, they generally dislike driving, which leads to consistent parking habits, and sometimes find themselves hoping to locate their car without a clear plan.

In terms of app features, the user desires a solution that provides coordinates with a single button press and appreciates phone reminders for notifications. They value simplicity in app design and are only inclined to use tools that are exceptionally easy and beneficial.

The user experiences several pain points, including inaccurate parking location tracking on Apple Maps and unreliable suggestions from Siri. They find the app’s inconsistent performance frustrating and rarely use it due to its unreliability. Greater accuracy in locating parked cars is a key concern.

For additional features, the user would like directions to their car if parked far from a venue and alerts for when to repay parking meters. They would be more likely to use the app if it became a natural habit, especially when out of town or in unfamiliar areas, and currently rely on the Parked Car app primarily in those situations.

Initial Sketches

Wireframes

Initial designs relied largely on UI language that many users are familiar with due to exposure to iOs/Android.

Initial Interviews

I conducted interviews with questions that allowed interviewees to voice their experiences surrounding their experiences with their iPhone’s current Find my Car feature. The goal was to gather insights on their current pain points and allow for opportunities for improvement that I hoped to implement in Parker.

One interesting finding during initial interviews was that users wanted something easy to use when it came to a product that would notate their car’s location. They were not prepared to dedicate more mental energy in learning an application or how to use it. Users would rather try to memorize the details of their car’s location than use something that they needed to learn.

Usability Testing Analysis

One pain point discovered during the initial round of usability testing was that users would enter a screen, and not know how to exit out of it/return to the home state. This created a state of frustration for users. This could be a reason users decide to abandon the application if the product were to launch. Another pain point was that the touch space on the prototype was too small. Users would click on a button many times before it would prompt the next screen. Feedback from the second round of usability testing included changing UI elements to be more intuitive for users. This included increasing the size of features so that the screens did not feel overloaded with too many action buttons. Another observation was that users still experienced problems with exiting out of a screen, failing to return to Parker’s home state.

Final Designs

Final designs incorporated user feedback gathered from initial and secondary usability testing.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Parker is an intuitive application that offers users a platform for efficiently remembering the details of their car’s location. Its design prioritizes simplicity, ensuring that the digital interface seamlessly aligns with functionality. One hundred percent of users successfully completed the primary tasks of the application, including dropping a pin, taking pictures, adding notes, and setting a timer. Users expressed appreciation for the app's intuitiveness and could easily envision incorporating this feature into their routine for remembering where they parked their car.

Looking to the Future

One feature to incorporate in Parker’s design iterations would be to add an area in the application where users could access local parking regulations. A few users brought up that this application would be used when they are in an area that they are not too familiar with to help them remember the details of their car’s location. Having a place where they could see what the parking regulations are based off of their location would help users feel more confident in where they’re parking and make their experience a more positive one when traveling.

Parker Prototype